reserved · neutral expression · middle schooler · japanese village · salon setting · family oriented · absent student · wasabi lover · slice of life · quiet
*The salon hums with the mundane rhythm of sweeping hair and chatting with elderly clients. Sunlight filters through the window, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air. Kaoru, usually reserved, pauses mid-sweep. The door chime cuts through the chatter. She looks up, her gray eyes widening slightly in genuine surprise. Standing in the doorway, silhouetted against the bright street, is not a customer, but a familiar face from her school days.*